The red weave
by FireBearOfEssos
Summary: In a beach of Essos a exiled bear and a runaway princess meet for the first time and the world changes. AU from the very beginning.
1. Chapter 1

Maybe this was the reason why Targaryens had white skin and hair, four hundred years of honor and history so a little girl could hide between the white dunes of the Essos coastline. Unlikely at best, delusional most likely, Aegon the conqueror himself would renegade of her. After all how could this barely standing, shoeless, starving and sunburn beggar drinking from a rotten pool of rainwater be the blood of the dragon? At the least she had managed to keep out of the eye of anybody, and most importantly, out of the eye of the passing ships, even if she had managed to lose her dainty slippers even before crossing out Pento's gates she had no desire to be turned into pirate's or smuggler's loot. The heat was scorching during the day and the opportunities of her being seen higher so she only used it to forage, even if the water, insects and crabs made her queasy. The night was for walking, always along the water always North, toward home, more like, toward the closest thing to home she has ever knew.

-We are close my children-They have to be because she isn't sure how long will she last-Soon there will be a nice brazier, you won't be cold anymore-

Even if she allowed other's to see he, would they think her crazy for speaking to them? Or would they only see rocks? Like the handmaidens in Illyrio Mopatis house had. But they were not rocks, she knew, they were her children and the only ones that she had left in the world now, after, after she, after she had killed Viserys. She used to dream all the time of the house with the red door and the lemon tree, now what little she could sleep was jumpy and restless, full of fear and of her brother hands pushing her against the bed, his words, the sneer on his mouth, the sickening sound of his head against the unyielding shell of the egg on her hand. Sometimes she would only dream of him lying on the floor unmoving, those were the worst, no sound no violence, just a roar of desperation that wouldn't let her wake up and stop seeing her brother's blood seeping on the carpet.

-I don't want to sleep my children-Maybe that's why she could keep walking after everything, thinking she could outrun her own mind, and all those that must be hunting for her now-Lets sing a song, yes?-

She had made sure that they were always in the sun even if she didn't, close and halfway buried in the boiling sands, she could not make a fire but she could make her children as comfortable as they could be while on the run. And children need songs right? She clearly remembers a servant girl getting her infant son to sleep with one such melody. But nobody ever sang to her, from the moment she had memory mother was long gone and Viserys was not one for songs, not happy ones at the least. But she did remember one, heard again and again on halls, and inns and holes in the ground, even if her brother sneered at it, it was popular and most importantly it was happy, her children should only have happy songs.

-Now how it went? - She knew the half forgotten humming came out of his mouth awkwardly at best, but at the least there was nobody there to laugh- A bear there was, a Bear, A BEAR, all …black and white and…and-

She furrowed her brow attempting to make out the words, if she couldn't remember even this, how could she sing the whole song. Even then she most certainly was not expecting the man's voice helping her along.

-And covered with hair-

She was not ashamed to recognize her scream being a shrill panicked thing. After the weeks alone and hiding, the man voice could not elicit any other response than sheer utter terror, even if he stood there by his horse smiling through his beard, as nonthreatening someone that doubled her size could. It didn't matter, she could recognize a warrior, even under that cheerful yellow shirt and ridiculous peacock scabbard he was carrying, he had the same standing that she remembers from Ser Darry's better days. So then, a sells sword? An assassin? A…a knight? Had they finally caught up to her? Whoever THEY, may be.

-I have been told numerous times that my signing voice it's truly nothing to write home about but I see they were being kind.-

She observed him carefully as he tied his horse down on the shadow always making sure his hand were under her line of sight, there were plate armor pieces tied to one of the flanks of the animal. He left it there, along most of his bags, only carrying a small one when coming closer to her, his other hand upwards; movements slow, and body low; she had seen men approach wild dogs that way. She must be really a mess for this man to worry about her actions.

-Peace child, just this old knight and his horse seeking refuge from the midday. We have clean water and food and- he gave her a little self-deprecating smile as he sat under her rocky outcrop, barely giving her children's a glance- this bear may not be the fairest but he knows his songs.

The best would be to still side with caution so she kept her stare distrustful, something he valiantly ignored, that's it till he finished unpacking. A loud growl startled her before sinking in shame after realizing it was her stomach at the simple sight of dried fruit and meat. He was kind enough to not make comments about it and his laugh had no bite to it, even while he laid a sizeable amount of his food in front of her.

-I don't suppose I have to prove it isn't laced with anything if I am eating the same? - He laughed yet again under the fire of her glare; apparently he didn't find her as dangerous as she initially thought. –Eat child, you look about to kneel over from starvation.

The simple meat and fruit tastes like glory in the wake of deprivation so she proceeds to devour them as if they were the last scraps in the world. His, surprisingly intense, blue eyes never leave her but he does join in eventually after also handing over his waterskin to her. The midday sun still rages over when they finish and he doesn't seem to be going away every soon because he lays down, exhaling a sigh of pleasure at the cold sand and closing his eyes. Picking on the remnants of the food she feels a sudden and deep shame realizing she has neither given him thanks for it, as a matter of fact she has not even spoken to him.

-I…-That surprises him enough to make him open a eye, but makes no movement beyond that-….thank you-

His apparent serenity makes her want to speak, too much time has passed since she had the luxury of small talk.

-A knight?-

-A knight- He snorts in what could be called amusement- Blessed by the High Septon himself, for what it's worth -

-Like in the stories….-She can't finish that train of thought because he outrights laughs at it, is a mocking laugh but also one full of hurt's that she has no force or interest in digging out. Maybe she should instead figure in how much a trouble she was.-What come news from Pentos?-

-Beat me child, I travel to Bravos from Norvos, and before that from places to far away to hear news of any kind, I have yet to see Pentos in three full years-

-Oh, that is nice, I suppose-A big amount of tension she didn't even know she had left her body-What kind of places ser….mmm-

-Jorah, Ser Jorah Mormont of Bear Island, Westeros- A bear indeed, like the song - And if I am to be the storyteller today, knowing one audience goes a long way, or so I have been told-

-Dany-She was not going to give him anything more, not yet anyway.

-Well Dany that travels to Braavos, do not fear, I know nothing of why or whom you run away.

-I am not running away-That had come across as rather defensive though-I just…wish to go to Braavos-

-What for? A pretty child like you has no business in Braavos, unless you are planning to be a courtesan-

-Do you dare-She was half a mind to use the man head as another impromptu test of resistance against one of her egg's- I would never…that it's so disgusting.

-Peace child, peace- He was smiling again, as if he had just told a funny joke instead of making abominable assumptions about her-Courtesans are very respected in Braavos, you know, and with those looks of yours….-

-I don't wish to speak of this anymore-

-Anything you wish your grace-

That made her jump almost as high as when he had finished the song for her.

-How do you?- How could he indeed- You said you didn't come from Pentos Ser, do you lie to me so quick?

-I do not lie; it's easy to know, what, if not whom, you are child. Essos may have forgotten but from where I come from every child knows what those eyes and hair of yours mean. And well…-He made a jerking movement toward her children- ..I to have some idea what those are. But we can keep on with this mummer's show if that's what you wish.

Daenerys Targaryen observed her children roast in the sun, half her mind wondering if they liked it and the other half pondering on if she had the courage to admit her name before this strange, this knight of her homeland brought to her by fate. Maybe that's what he was, a gift of the gods for the last Targaryen, even if she was a kinslayer, could she admit to that to?

-The road to Braavos is still long Ser Jorah, for the moment you owe me a song.

He also had quite the nice smile, this golden bear.


	2. Chapter 2

She has shoes now, they are too big for her but the bandages he put on her feet make up for the size difference and they are soft leather, very comfortable specially since she isn't walking anymore but sitting on the horse. Instead he is walking, opening road in front of them under the moonlight, away from any of the main roads.

-I shouldn't be using your horse…

-What kind of knight would I be if I let a lady walk while I ride?-He let out another of those gruff snorts of his- Anyway, I wouldn't be ridding at night either, bad for the animal, you can't see, he can't see, bad combination. This is the best solution to both, you on the horse it's just an extra, but you can walk to if you so wish it, he will thank you for it. -

-I..I would prefer to stay here -

-Clever girl-

It was not hard to move, the night was clear and the sea like a mirror, so sharp she could almost pretend Westeros was visible, just beyond it as if she could extend her hand and touch it for the first time. But she knew it was a fantasy, it didn't matter, even if she were somehow to appear there she wouldn't recognize it, home was in Braavos beyond a red door.

-Tell me about Westeros Ser Jorah-

-What would you like to hear your grace?-

-Tell me; tell me of your lands; of the North-

-Well if you were to ask a southern about it, they would tell you it's the closest thing to hell you could find on earth, a frozen hell. Most people of Essos would also tell you is hell, but since they already live in it they would just tell you is more cold to what they are accustomed-

-And what would Ser Jorah Mormont say?-

-I would say its home, even through the long winters and the cold, and only having bear skin to wear AND bear skin to eat. Those are the things people from outside notice; they never stop to feel the earth beneath their feet, hear the dark trees whispering or feel the old magic crackling inside the weirdwoods…..-

-A weidwood?-

-Aye, they are trees, they grow thick beyond the wall, but they are still abundant in the whole North, Bear island, my home, had a fair share of them-His eyes were also looking at the sea as if he could see his _weirdwoods- _Their trunks are white my lady, as the snow they grow in, their leaves and sap are red, the hearts and blood of every Northman that fell in battle, every Northwoman that died on childbed, and their faces weep for them-

-Trees don't have faces-

-Aye, but this one's do child, some say the children of the forest carved them, some that they grow along with the tree, it doesn't matter, all weirdwoods have faces and they all weep-

-It sounds….morbid-

-Aye, it may seem that way, when told like this, but everything has to faces child, life and death. We also call the weirdwoods heart trees, for couples marry underneath them, covered by the hearts of their people and surrounded by the soul of their land-

She tried to imagine it, marring beneath a white tree of red leaves with faces all over its trunk, weeping blood like sap. Her dressed in furs while the snow fell to cover the land in a blanket till were sight could reach. She had no face for the man in front of her, but that didn't matter she didn't had a face for the man they wanted to marry her in Pentos either, and she was sure THAT wedding in the desert wouldn't had been magic at all.

-Did you ever have one ser Jorah?-

-A what?-

-A weirdwood wedding-

-Aye child, the first one was under a weirdwood, the second was in a sept because that it's what she wanted and I am a fool. My first wife she, she died in childbirth, both she and the child, sometimes I feel that all the bad choices I made after that were because she was angry that I dared to marry so far away from home, because I didn't marry under her heart. –

-I am sorry-

He shrugged apparently not disturbed but with his back to her she had no real idea if he was just playing it as if didn't matter anymore.

-I'll have to pass on telling the tale of my second marriage, I am afraid that one needs much more alcohol in my body than all I have left on my bags right now-

Nor she had any wish to be alone with a drunken man in the middle of nothing.

-The sun it's going to rise soon, we will still have several hours for walking before we have to stop at midday, the closer we get to Braavos the easier the weather will get-

Yes, she could already see the rose tones of the clouds in the east; it didn't take much for the firsts rays of light to peek behind them. Her knight had grown quiet again, like he had for most part of the night, a man of many words he was not. Some part of her was thankful because she had no idea of what to say to him either; but another part of her wished for someone who would make her laugh or to be silly with, things she had never been able to do in abundance before now that she could, in theory, she had no one or no reason to.

-There are some seagrapes ahead; they make good places to rest, very thick shadows, and good covering-

-The midday it's not yet here ser, shouldn't we have some hours left?-

-Aye, but it's a good place to rest, better to stop early than risk been caught without refuge in sight and with the sun burning your back-

The small trees did make a nice refuge, even if they still had to rest in the sand, she was getting very tired of sand everywhere even if it allowed to keep her children warm. She proceeded to bury them again under his amused stare while he unloaded the horse and left him to graze, she knew his name now, Ned because he was stubborn as a mule, and no Jorah was not going to explain that.

-We are going to leave the coastline soon if we hope to find some water, we are running short and Braavos it's still far away-

-Very far away?-

-Not so much, you had already covered an impressive amount of land by the time I found you, and without shoes to-

She helped him unpack now that her children were taking his daily sunbath and blushed under his words of praise; she wasn't a useless princess after all.

-Although, the only reason you still have feet's must be more that you walked along the beach than anything else, pure dumb luck actually-

What, how he dared? She prepared herself to deliver the most scathing remark that she could but when she looked at him there was a small devious smile on his face. He was, he was joking with her, she could almost not believe it but then it grew bigger at her shock. Oh, what a insufferable man, without any real idea of what to say she settled for pushing him from his crouching position and into the sand which in turn sent him into peals of laughter.

-Stop, laughing, you can't I am a princess- That sent him laughing harder for some reason, maybe because she looked like anything but a princess at the moment- Oh you terrible, terrible man, bear…..-

And then she just couldn't avoid it and stopped laughing along him, his laugh feeding her and the other way around till they were wheezing and there were tear on their eyes, she wondered if that was because neither had laughed in a long time. Afterwards they just laid there on the sand looking at the big leafs above them and the grapes that were not grapes slowly swaying in the sea breeze.

-You never told me why you are going to Braavos child-

-I could ask you the same ser-

He snorted and rose to dig between his bags, finally returning with the water to her side.

-That it's hardly a mystery, I am between jobs and tired of having to deal with the Dothrakis, jobs in Norvos and Pentos always end involving them somehow. Jobs in Braavos usually are either about killing someone or sailing, I am up to both-

She grabbed the waterskin from his hands and took a long gulp pondering what should she say or not. The thing was, she needed help, and she didn't know anybody in Braavos, to this point she had not even though what she would do once she got there, maybe he could help her.

-I am looking for my home.-

-And that home it's in Braavos?-

-Yes, I grew up there in a big house with a red door-

-That it's not very specific child, who knows how many houses with a red door exist in Braavos-

-I will remember it; I know I will. It had lemon trees in the yard, and under my windows-

He stopped suddenly, the waterskin she had given back halfway there to his mouth, and gave her a look of deep pity that made her angry.

-Child, there are no lemon trees in Braavos-

That felt like a bucket of ice water on her body; that made no sense. What was she remembering then? Where was her home? And she couldn't ask anybody, now that Viserys…. Better not go that way she already felt about to break in tears. Ser Jorah looked at her with a deeply ashamed expression, as if it were somehow his fault that lemon trees didn't grow in Braavos. Silently he finished unpacking by himself and gave her food; they ate in silence, suddenly uncomfortable the moment created by their laughs destroyed. Finally after what seemed an eternity he addressed her again.

-Better to sleep, if we want to keep going during the evening and the night-

One of the big advantages of the road they were taking was that even if sand got everywhere it was comfortable to sleep on, and you could even make a pillow by putting clothe over a mound. He looked ready to drop as he laid down.

-Don't worry about problems; Ned, the old grouch, can't stand pretty much anybody, not even me, if someone tries to get close he will make enough sound to wake up the dead-

They settled in silence again, she thought for a moment that the sun in the green leaves above them was the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life.

-Ser Jorah?-

He looked sleepy, halfway there to a dream, she wondered when was the last time he slept before having to carry a runaway with him.

-mmmm, yes?-

-When we get to Braavos, its likely there will be people looking for me with a reward, from Westeros or Pentos I don't know. Are you going to give me up?

He looked at her, both surprised, he must had though her more innocent than this, and conflicted, after a moment he closed his eyes with a pained look.

-I don't know child-


End file.
